Peace Now (Shalom Achshav)

Peace Now (Shalom Achshav)
Name	Peace Now (Shalom Achshav)
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Tel Aviv
Area served	Israel and the Palestinian territories
Focus	Israeli–Palestinian conflict, settlements, diplomacy

Peace Now (Shalom Achshav) is an Israeli advocacy group formed in 1978 that campaigns for a negotiated resolution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through territorial compromise and two-state solutions. The movement grew from public protests and demonstrations and became a prominent actor in Israeli civil society, influencing debates in the Knesset, High Court of Justice, and diplomatic discussions involving the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations. Its activism has intersected with Israeli political parties, human rights organizations, settler movements, and international NGOs.

History

Founded in 1978 after the first large-scale public demonstrations against continued Israeli control of territory captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, the movement reflected divisions within Israeli society exemplified by figures associated with the Labour Party, the Alignment, and the Mapam tradition. Early leaders and participants included veterans of the Yom Kippur War era dissent, peace activists connected to the Geneva Initiative and the Oslo process, and intellectuals linked to Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During the 1980s and 1990s Peace Now engaged with the Camp David Accords aftermath, the First Intifada, the Madrid Conference, and the Oslo Accords, while clashing with settler organizations, the Likud party, and the National Religious Party. The movement’s history includes landmark legal actions before the Supreme Court of Israel and campaigns during the Rabin premiership, the Netanyahu administrations, and the tenure of ministers such as Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak.

Mission and Goals

Peace Now advocates a negotiated two-state solution that envisages a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, with negotiated borders largely based on the 1967 lines subject to land swaps, in line with principles debated in the Quartet on the Middle East and in bilateral talks mediated by the United States and Norway. The organization promotes dismantling or freezing settlement expansion in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, supports evacuation of unauthorized outposts challenged by the Attorney General and the High Court of Justice, and calls for security arrangements similar to proposals discussed by the Mitchell Commission and the Roadmap for Peace. It frames its goals in dialogue with international law arguments advanced at the International Court of Justice and human rights claims brought by organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Activities and Campaigns

Peace Now’s activities include public demonstrations in Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, publication of settlement monitoring reports used by journalists at Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post, mapping projects that document construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem alongside data used by the European Union, and legal petitions lodged with the Supreme Court challenging government decisions on planning and zoning in Judea and Samaria. The organization has run voter education drives targeting Knesset elections, produced briefings for diplomats at the United States Department of State, engaged with Members of the European Parliament, partnered with Israeli NGOs such as B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence on certain initiatives, and participated in Track II diplomacy forums involving former officials from the Carter Center and the Brookings Institution.

Legal and Political Impact

Through freedom-of-information requests, petitions, and litigation, Peace Now has influenced High Court rulings on settlement authorization and state disclosure obligations, affecting decisions by the Minister of Defense and the Civil Administration in the West Bank. Its legal interventions have intersected with actions by the Attorney General and administrative rulings under Israeli law, shaping precedents cited in cases before district courts and the Supreme Court. Politically, the group’s advocacy has shaped debates within parties such as Meretz, Labor, Kadima, and Likud, contributed to coalition negotiations, and informed diplomatic pressure from actors including the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations Security Council.

Organization and Funding

Peace Now operates with a central office in Tel Aviv and regional activists in communities across Israel and the West Bank, coordinating volunteers, legal teams, and communications staff. Funding has come from private donors, foundations in Europe and North America, and grants linked to civil society networks that include NGO Forum partners and international philanthropic institutions; such support has prompted scrutiny and legislative proposals in the Knesset concerning foreign funding of Israeli NGOs. Governance structures involve a board, professional directors, and affiliated local chapters, and the organization has collaborated with international actors such as the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and various European foundations on project-specific grants.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics from settler organizations, right-wing parties, and nationalist activists have accused Peace Now of undermining Israeli security and siding with international pressure from the European Union and the United Nations. Allegations have included claims about the organization’s use of foreign donations, disputes over accuracy in settlement mapping challenged by municipal authorities and the Civil Administration, and public confrontations with figures linked to Gush Emunim and the Jewish Agency. Legal challenges and parliamentary motions proposed by members of the Knesset have targeted the group’s funding transparency and political activities, producing high-profile media exchanges with politicians such as Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Lieberman.

Public Perception and Influence

Public opinion in Israel about Peace Now has fluctuated across electoral cycles, polling by the Israel Democracy Institute and other survey institutes showing variability tied to security incidents like the Second Intifada, the Gaza disengagement, and operations such as Cast Lead and Protective Edge. The movement retains influence among civil society networks, academic circles at institutions including Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University, and among diaspora Jewish organizations in the United States and Europe that engage with the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. Internationally, its data and advocacy have been cited by diplomats, journalists, and policy analysts in forums ranging from the United Nations General Assembly to think tanks such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Category:Political organizations based in Israel